After seven years of being held, Albemarle County dog euthanized
CHARLOTTESVILLE — Years of legal wrangling that began in 2014 after an Albemarle County dog attacked another dog and then killed a cat came to an end Thursday when the dog was euthanized.
The dog, Niko, had been impounded at the SPCA since December 2014, according to a press release from Albemarle County spokesperson Emily Kilroy.
The dog was in the custody of Albemarle County after being declared a dangerous dog by two local courts.
Niko's aggressive behavior initially came to light in 2013 when he first injured a dog. He injured a second dog in 2014, resulting in the dangerous dog classification by the state. That same year, Niko also killed a neighbor’s cat.
“In 2016, while impounded at the local SPCA, Niko escaped his handler and injured a third dog,” the press release said.
Following a series of appeals, the Virginia Court of Appeals affirmed the circuit court’s ruling and Albemarle County received a final order in June to dispose of Niko, the relase said.
According to The Daily Progress, Niko was a Staffordshire bull terrier. In 2015, one of the dog's owners was sentenced to 90 days in jail with 90 days suspended. The dog’s euthanization was a condition of the suspended sentence, the media outlet said.
The Virginia Court of Appeals denied an appeal seeking to overturn the euthanization order in 2014. The Daily Progress said after exhausting other options, the owners pursued a legal strategy that sought to rehome and rehabilitate Niko instead of having him euthanized.
Since 2015, multiple appeals in the case were filed, The Daily Progress reported.
Brad Zinn is the cops, courts and breaking news reporter at The News Leader. Have a news tip? Or something that needs investigating? You can email reporter Brad Zinn (he/him) at bzinn@newsleader.com. You can also follow him on Twitter.
This article originally appeared on Staunton News Leader: Dangerous dog put down in Albemarle County
